


The Worst Soulmate

by kaleidxscope



Category: SKAM (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, First Meetings, M/M, Star Wars Spoilers, also his life is much more happy, also this is a big rant about isak's life, and a tiny scene, eva loves isak, i changed some things because yes, i sorry i can't make my son suffer, jonas loves isak, just trust me, they're the best friends in the world
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-14
Updated: 2017-10-14
Packaged: 2019-01-17 10:27:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12363714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaleidxscope/pseuds/kaleidxscope
Summary: soulmate/ˈsəʊlmeɪt/noun1. a person ideally suited to another as a close friend or romantic partner.Well, Isak hates his.





	The Worst Soulmate

**Author's Note:**

> First of all, this goes to Fee! Thank you so much for sharing [the post](http://littlelions101.tumblr.com/post/161426669018/adramofpoison-dondaario-so-if-in-the-soulmate) that inspired this. I love you so much and I hope you like this!
> 
> The biggest thank you to [Amalie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Carolus) and [Varshi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ahana) for betaing this and helping me, you're awesome!
> 
> WARNING: There are spoilers from the last Star Wars movie so, heads up!  
> Also, all the tattoos are in Norwegian.

It’s known by everyone that you are born with a very special tattoo on your left forearm, just words in a simple (and to be honest, quite boring) typography. You can’t choose what’s written there, sometimes it’s just a greeting, sometimes they're weird or funny or even a swear word. You never know what you’re going to find there, yet some believe they are the most important words you’ll hear in your life. Because, that’s the thing: you don’t get to say them out loud, not in a way that matters, anyway. They represent the first words your soulmate will say to you. The person you’re supposed to share a life with, to love while aging, the true love of your life. The only one. Call them what you want, but don’t forget: Isak hates his soulmate.

 

But let's start on the beginning, 21st June of 1999—the day Isak Valtersen was born. He was so chubby and his left arm so tiny that no one could have possibly read what was written on his forearm, but it wasn’t a concern in that moment, not when Isak probably still had many years before that person would appear in his life. Marianne and Terje knew this, and even if their parental instinct told them to gather as much information as possible about the person that would become part of their little family one day, they let it be and didn't take a picture of it to amplify it later, as many parents did. In fact, it wasn’t until he was four and all his baby fat was gone that they were able to read it, but never told Isak a single word about it. The first time Isak managed to read it, he was six and cried.

He cried so hard and for so long that the sobs resounded all the way into the living room, his parents fearing that he had managed to break a bone in a room that had been fully child-proofed since Isak's birth, what they found as soon as they opened the door was Isak with his left arm in the air, runny nose and puffy eyes. He had just been learning to read and, mind you, he was one of the best in his class, but Jonas (his new and very best friend in the world) managed to read his soulmate's words before Isak could even get past the first two words: _can I touch your hair?_ Isak had to agree with that person, though, Jonas had a really nice hair and it deserved to be touched. But even though he was happy his best friend was going to have someone nice who cared about his hair as his partner in life, he wanted to know what _his_ soulmate would say. Maybe a compliment about his hair too? About his green eyes? He just needed to know.

As soon as he got home, he closed his bedroom door, threw his coat on the floor and sat right beside it, lifting his left arm and tried to read it. He had seven words, two more than Jonas, excuse him, so he didn’t think too much about the first three minutes trying to understand them. It was hard, so hard that Isak had to squint his eyes and change the angle a few times until he got half of the words “ _Man, I can’t believe_ …” after that there were two words that surely weren’t in Norwegian, or was it _Har Sola_? But that didn’t make sense, did it? Why would his soulmate talk about the sun? Or was it the island? After five minutes, he decided that the first _r_ was an _n_ and the _a_ at the end was an _o_ , so Han Solo must have been someone. So far, so good. Isak didn’t know who this Solo guy was, but if his soulmate cared so much about them to say their name while meeting Isak, he should care a bit too. And that’s why the last word made him cry: _died_.

_Man, I can’t believe Han Solo died._

At first the full meaning of the words didn't hit Isak, but then he started to comprehend the meaning of it. Someone was going to die. _Han Solo_ was going to die. His soulmate was probably going to be sad, so he was going to be sad too. Who wasn’t sad after someone’s death? So he cried—little sobs at first but it didn't take long before he was crying his eyes out —until his parents appeared at his door and Marianne picked him up, unable to catch a single word of what her son was saying while pointing to his arm. Even after he managed to calm down for more than five minutes, his parents still didn't understand what was he talking about, who this Han Solo guy was?—they had never heard of him ( _her_?)—and how did he die? And that only made Isak cry more. He wanted to warn them, he wanted to find Han Solo and tell them not to die, hug them tight in case the first option wasn't going to work. He wanted to tell Han Solo that he cared for them and loved them and someone out there, Isak's soulmate, did too. It got even worse when Terje suggested that maybe _Han Solo_ was a pet and Isak shouldn't be upset because he was sure it was a good pet and had a long and happy life. And why shouldn’t Isak cry even more if _a pet_ was going to die? _A pet_!

The day after his big discovery, Isak did two things. First, he told Jonas about it and let himself be comforted by his best friend, and second, he promised (and made Jonas promise it too) that he would never ever use the name Han Solo for an animal.

 

But that wasn't what made Isak hate his soulmate at such a young age, no. That day only made him care about his soulmate so much it hurt sometimes. He wondered if they had already met Han Solo, if they were blonde, a girl or funny. He wanted his soulmate to be as funny as Jonas, and have as nice hair too. Isak wondered when they would meet. If they would cross paths at Han Solo’s funeral and if they did, who was the unfortunate one? Would Isak be comforting them or would they be comforting Isak? He thought so much about his soulmate, it was almost as if he knew them already. He wanted to. Sooner rather than later, but then he remembered Han Solo and sometimes, he still cried. Isak was ten years old and cared so much about his soulmate, he started to hate them after the stab in the back, long before Isak even got to know them.

He still remembers it, to this very day, how the back of his neck stung from Jonas's outraged slap, how mad Jonas was with him, and how he refused to speak to Isak for two hours, until was time for lunch break and Jonas decided it was time to take back his best friend in the world. But that wasn’t enough for Isak and his sore neck. He deserved an explanation for it. All he received was an “ _I’ll show you this afternoon. You’re coming to mine to see the very best movie in the world, and you’re going to love it,_ ” with a shit-eating grin. Isak didn’t know why Jonas would have slapped him just because of a movie, but at the mention of spaceships, he didn’t care anymore.

Luckily, the Valtersens and Vasquez’ grew found of each other a long time ago, when their sons started playing together as children, so it didn’t take a lot to persuade Marianne about letting Isak spend the afternoon in Jonas’s house. And it was a wonderful place to be after classes, mind you, because even if Marianne’s sandwiches were the best, they loved Anja’s cookies even more. Soon enough, after finishing half of their homework, Jonas asked his father if they could see that cool movie he saw just yesterday, because Isak really, _really_ , needed to see it. Jonas’s father was more than pleased to share his spaceship movie with the kids.Thus, not even ten minutes later, the two kids were on the couch, with a shared blanket, in front of the television.

The first thing Isak thought about the movie was that it was incredible, despite how old it was. It had shots, explosions, robots, and it was like Isak was in heaven. They were a little less than an hour into the movie when Isak finally understood it all. Why his best friend hit him and why he so desperately needed to see the movie. Once again, it all came down to a single sentence: _Han Solo, I'm captain of the Millennium Falcon_.

Isak began shouting for Jonas to rewind it. He must had heard wrong. It couldn't be possible, right? His mind must have been playing games with him. There was no fucking way the man next to the human bear was Han Solo. _His_ Han Solo. But after the tenth time watching the same scene, it was clear for Isak that, in fact, Han Solo wasn’t a real person, not even a pet. Han Solo was a character from Star Wars.

Fuck his soulmate for ruining this amazing movie for him. Isak still needed another five minutes of just watching the frozen screen to decide that, _screw everything_ , he already knew Han Solo was going to die so he should end the movie now that he got the chance. Maybe Jonas’s smirk should have been enough warning that it wasn’t over.

Han Solo did not die. Not in that first movie and he didn’t die in the next five movies that they watched over the weekend. Not even in the animated version that was released the year before. Han Solo was still very much alive and Isak didn’t understand shit until Jonas told him, very clearly and bluntly that his soulmate had given him a spoiler on his arm and that said spoiler didn’t even exist yet. Isak’s soulmate had managed to turn him into a walking spoiler without even meeting him.

And that made Isak did another two things: first, decide that his soulmate was the biggest asshole to ever walk the earth, and second, he started to cover his left arm, not wanting anyone hitting him for reading a spoiler.

 

Fifteen year old Isak wasn’t as cheerful or kind as ten year old him, but it wasn’t entirely his fault.

The year before Isak started high school, was the year his father started to spend more time outside their home than inside it, leaving him alone with a mother who sometimes couldn’t even recognize her own son. His mother’s undiagnosed illness was getting worse than ever and the only person keeping him from breaking down was Jonas. Still his best friend in the world, and the person who, unknowingly and unwillingly, added another problem to his life.

If he was to pinpoint the exact moment when _it_ became a problem, he wouldn’t know what to do. He wasn't even sure if there was a moment when it all started, but if he was forced to choose one, he would pick the moment they became three instead of the two they were—the moment Eva Mohn appeared in their lives. She was an easy person to like, and, ironically, Isak was the first of them to meet her. It was a day when Jonas was sick at home, and the new girl decided to occupy his seat during maths. She was easy to get along with, kind and with the right amount of weirdness. Just like Isak. He liked her, he liked her hair (not quite red but not quite brown), and he liked her accent. He liked her so much that it felt like betrayal when the day after, he introduced her to Jonas and her first words were _can I touch your hair?_. It felt like a slap on the face, and the sting became worse when a perplexed Jonas murmured _yeah, sure?_ reciting the words on Eva’s left forearm.

Logically, Isak knew Jonas couldn’t be his soulmate. They had known each other for years and their first words to each other weren’t a spoiler and a request to touch the other’s hair. But, he still felt crushed when he realized that Jonas and Eva were soulmates. They were two, not three. And Isak couldn’t stop the jealousy spreading in his body at the thought that it used to be him and Jonas against the world. He also realized that it didn’t matter how sweet Eva was, nor how good looking Jonas once said Ingrid was, or the fact that Sara was always smiling at him. He didn’t want any of those girls to be his soulmate. He didn’t even want _any girl_ to be there until he could meet his stupid soulmate. And even if it was impossible, Isak realized that he would have loved to have Jonas as his soulmate.

Months after that realization, Jonas and Eva were a couple and Isak panicked at the thought that he no longer had a place with them. He wanted to stay away from Jonas and his lovely, perfect relationship with a nice girl. But before he had the chance to do so, before he could run away, he remembered why he liked Eva in the first place: she was easy to talk with.

Eva found him in his room after three days without Isak leaving his house. Marianne was feeling better these days, and when Eva introduced herself as a friend of her son she was more than happy to let her in and guide her to Isak’s room, where he was, hiding under a blanket, playing the same old games on his Play Station that he always played. It wasn’t quite as fun as when he was with Jonas. Eva sat down on his left and waited patiently until Isak decided that ignoring her wasn’t going to make her leave. Isak wasn’t even mad at her, he couldn’t be, he just felt so utterly alone. But Eva took his left hand in her right and smiled warmly at him, that stupid and contagious smile of her, and they just shared the silence until it got too much, until Isak needed to tell everything.

That evening, both Isak and Eva cried. So when they both looked like a mess, and Marianne announced that Jonas was at the door, they started to giggle. Jonas didn’t understand a single thing but Isak was just so happy to see him, to know that they weren’t going to leave him, that he wasn’t weird for not wanting a girl as a soulmate (as Eva had said: _we’re annoying anyway_ ) that he decided right there, right then, he needed to tell his very best friend, his very best friends, in the world who he _was_.

Later that night, Jonas, Isak and Eva watched Star Wars, laughed and cried a bit while eating Marianne’s sandwiches because she was so happy with Isak’s friends in their house. When it got late, the three of them laid down on Isak’s tiny bed with Isak snugged in the middle of his friends. The last thing he heard that night, was Eva’s whispering assurance that Isak's soulmate, who ever he was, was a really lucky and really stupid boy. And _that_ , that made Isak’s heart burst with happiness.

 

And maybe even now, just a year later, Isak doesn’t have it easy. He isn’t the carefree, cheerful boy he once was, but he’s in a pretty good place. He has good friends by his side and he tries his best every single day. Maybe his father is no longer around, and maybe his mother still has hard days even when she’s getting help, but he’s no longer afraid of being alone, of not being enough for Marianne. Maybe he hasn’t met his soulmate yet and most of his friends have, but he is in no rush to meet the person that ruined his favourite franchise.

Isak is sixteen and happy, no matter how hard life has challenged him. What he doesn’t know is that 2015 is also his year. Because 2015 is the year Isak (alongside Jonas and Eva, who never left him) starts high school in Nissen. It’s the year he meets some of the most important people in his life, even if he won’t ever admit that out loud, it’s the year he becomes fascinated by biology and chemistry and decides he wants to do them for a living. It’s also the first year Disney announces the release of a new Star Wars movie since Isak discovered the series and, in his excitement for the new movie, he completely forgets about his arm. He doesn’t hate as much anymore, and it doesn’t make him cry or yell. If Isak’s completely honest, the words have lost some of the weight they once carried, he’s just so used to them there, greeting him every morning, he doesn’t really feel distressed like he did when he was ten years old.

But Isak’s not worried. He has time.

Before Isak realizes it, it’s 18th December 2015 and he can't keep still in his theatre seat, with Eva on his left side and Jonas on his right (so that they won’t make out during this). Isak needs them to be focused on the movie. If his friends thought his love for Star Wars was endearing, he’s quite willing to prove them it’s more of a pain in the ass.

The movie doesn’t disappoint, with all the spaceships and explosions and the lightsabers (Isak definitely needs to buy one) even better than before. He’s really fond of the new jedi too and he can’t put into words how happy he is when he sees his favourite duo on the screen. Chewbacca and Han Solo. Isak always jokes about them being Jonas and Isak and with Jonas’s hair it’s easy to know who’s who (usually then, Jonas reminds Isak of his tattoo and it’s not so funny anymore). He’s enjoying himself so fucking much. He’s _living_ the film. Popcorn and coke forgotten, he’s barely able to remember if Jonas was on the left or the right, but he is clutching the arm on his right so hard he’s sure he’s going to leave marks there. He hates Kylo Ren, or _Ben_ , as he decides to call him just because _screw him_. He’s so into the movie that he can’t see it coming, Ben and Han Solo are on a catwalk, the rest of the team is looking at them expectantly. And then it’s over.

Kylo fucking Ren kills Han Solo, Chewbacca screams, Rey screams and Isak is not sure but he thinks he screams too. The next ten minutes are blurry in his mind, he can feel two hands squeezing his arms and he just sinks more and more on his seat. It can’t be true. It can’t be over. Not like this. Han Solo _can’t_ be dead.

The lights come back slowly, but Isak can’t move. He can hear everyone talk around him, see Eva and Jonas roll their eyes and tell him not to be dramatic. But he can’t move. He can’t believe what he’s just seen. His brain is not processing the fact that this is probably the moment he has been dreading and waiting all his life. He’s not, until he is forced to. All thanks to the deepest voice he has ever heard.

“Man, I can’t believe Han Solo died.” Isak turns his head so fast he’s sure his neck just cracked but the words are hitting him, washing all over his body, again and again and again. He squints his eyes to focus better, and is rewarded with what must be the prettiest boy alive. But it’s just not something Isak can think about right now.

“ _YOU!_ You’re the one!” he stands up faster than he thought he could and faces the guy, yelling the words in his face.

He’s as close as he can get to him with the people in the theatre still filing out. A few people turn to glare at him, Jonas and Eva are clearly perplexed by his behaviour right behind him. But he can’t process any of that, he can only see the tall guy frowning, rolling up the left sleeve on his hoodie and glancing between his forearm and Isak. Once, twice and up to three times.. It’s more than enough time to properly look at him: a ridiculous quiff on his hair, plump lips, a denim jacket on his right shoulder and the bluest eyes Isak has ever seen.

“That’s not really how I imagined that being said.”

There it is again, his voice, making Isak shake with anger and just a bit of excitement. _How dare him_.

“What?” Isak has no idea what he’s talking about, but Jonas nudges him in the ribs with a quiet “ _dude_ ” and pulls at his left sleeve until it’s above his elbow putting the words on display, and _oh_. Now he remembers. “I… or like, I mean…”

It’s a mess. Isak’s in front of his soulmate, just yelled at him and he was honestly waiting for an apology (still is), for fuck’s sake. He’s not sure what to say, should _he_ apologize? Ask him out? Ask for his name? He’s mumbling, probably making the biggest fool of himself.

“Do you want to grab a coffee?” It’s not Isak but Spoiler Boy who asks and Isak is forever grateful. Still, he can’t answer, he doesn’t want to embarrass himself even more. He just nods and tries a smile. Spoiler Boy has the biggest and prettiest smile Isak has ever seen.

 

Spoiler Boy, or _Even_ as Isak learns over coffee an hour after their meeting, is a third year at Bakka and wants to direct films someday. He talks a lot, surprisingly more than Isak does when he’s excited, and has the sweetest laugh. Isak is starting to think Even has the sweetest, prettiest things of the world on him.

But now they’ve been sitting for almost a whole minute without saying a word; just taking small sips from their cups and stealing glances.

Isak should say something. He really should.

“So… you…” that’s a start, isn’t it? Isak clears his throat, frowns a bit and then starts again “How _did_ you imagine it being said?” He asks, pointing with his chin to Even’s left arm where the words were fading with every passing minute.

As if it was a reminder of them, Even caresses the skin there and bites his lower lip, swallowing a laugh, if Isak has to bet, he would put all his money on Even imagining something quite ridiculous. Isak’s quite proud of already knowing what Even’s gestures mean, the way he tilts his head to the left when Isak talks to him about something he likes, or how he sightly pouts when he’s searching for the right words. It’s easy, Isak thinks, get to know—like—someone like Even, almost as if they have known each other from a lifetime.

“I don’t know. I thought it was going to be something epic and romantic.” Someone should warn him _epic_ and _romantic_ are not words in Isak’s vocabulary. But he doesn’t dare interrupt him. “I imagined myself saying some deep shit and my soulmate, _you_ , being fucking amazed.”

Isak’s blush must be visible from the moon, he’s sure. He feels his face getting hotter than ever and all because of a single word. All because Even dared to say it out loud. _Soulmate_.

“Sorry to break it to you, but I doubt you could say _some deep shit_.” He blurts out. Fortunately Even laughs at that, and his hand ends right above Isak’s.

“What can I do to repay you for a life with a spoiler on your arm? I’m sorry, I really am.” Even says, voice so quiet and intimate it’s almost inappropriate in a crowded cafe. “Just say it and I’ll do it.”

Isak visibly swallows and glances to their intertwined hands with a tiny smile, he’s not so angry anymore. He’s still sad because, listen, Han Solo is _dead_ , but he’s so happy too. “You can watch all the films with me _and_ take me to the cinema when they release new ones.”

Even squeezes his hand until Isak looks at him and then shoots him the biggest smile (has Isak ever said how much he likes Even’s smile?), wrinkled eyes and all. He can’t not smile at that sight. He can’t not marvel at how he wants to see this smile every single day of his life.

“It’s a date.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you liked it leave kudos and comments, they make me so happy!
> 
> And you can come and talk to me [on tumblr](http://theballxxnsquad.tumblr.com).
> 
> Thank you all for reading! ♥


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